Warren tonMea.Library X
11? S . M a i n St.
• a:'ronton, N.C. 275 39
Harren iteorii
Volume 85 25* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, December 8, 1982 Number 47
CHANGE OF COMMAND — Retiring Sheriff
Clarence A. Davis pins the sheriff's badge of Ttaeo
R. Williams, Warren's first black sheriff, during
ceremonies held shortly after noon on Monday in
the Warren County Court House. After pinning the
badge oo the new sheriff, Davis gave William® a
hearty bear hug and wished him well in his new
duties. An overflow crowd witnessed the transfer of
power. Other pictures and stories can be found on
Pages 12 and 14. (Staff Photo)
PCB-Related Trials Slated
Nine protestors facing
chafes in connection
with anti-PCB
demonstrations near
the state-constructed
landfill at Afton earlier
this fall are scheduled
to have their day in
court next week.
Seven of the nine are
charged with impeding
traffic as they allegedly
sought to block comple
tion of the Warren
chemical dump. They
are Sidney Louis
Moody, Dollie Bullock
Burwell, Arther A.
Brown, Odessa B.
Hawkins, Floyd B.
McKissick, Sr., John
David Stevenson and
Floyd E. Neal.
One of the sevenMcKissick
- is an
attorney and is scheduled
to represent the
defendants with Warrenton
Attorney Frank
Ballance.
All are slated for trial
on Tuesday before
Judge James H. Pou
Bailey of Raleigh.
Judge Bailey will preside
over a session of
Warren County Superior
Court scheduled to
begin on Monday morning.
Also scheduled for
Concern Is Expressed
Fire Unit Discussion
Occupies Board's Time
During a meeting that
lasted around two hours
Monday night the
Norlina Board of Town
Commissioners settled a
sometimes heated
discussion concerned
with proposed changes
in the Norlina Volunteer
Fire Department;
promoted a Norlina
Police Department officer;
made some adjustments
in sewer
bills; passed a
resolution for widening
a Warren County road
reaching into Norlina;
decided to re-advertise
two town-owned motor
vehicles, approved a
request that current for
the town Christmas tree
be obtained from the
town library, and took
care of some other
minor matters.
The town municipal
building was filled to
overflowing when
Mayor Kenneth Davis
called the regular
December meeting of
the board to order. The
crowd had gathered
largely due to a rumor
that the town was going
to sell part of its fire
eauinment. and partly
due to talk of irrcorporating
the fire department
as a district fire
Department. Reason
advanced for incorporation,
with Highway
Patrolman Bennett
being the chief advocate,
was that it
would lessen the
liability of the individual
fireman for a damage
suit. Part of the older
members of the
delegation did not want
any changes made in the
local fire department,
which they said was the
best fire company in the
county, if not the state.
At present the Norlina
fire company keeps one
engine within the town
to protect the citizens
against fire and in
emergencies sends men
and equipment outside
the town limits. A
suggestion that the formation
of a district
company might cause
the town to reduce its efforts
to fighting town
fires, probably led to the
suggestion that in that
case it would have to sell
some of its equipment.
Just at the time that
Mayor Davis was
beginning to name three
committees, composed
of firemen, commissioners,
and neutral
members, a lady
suggested that it would
be easier for the commissioners
to assure
those present that they
would not sell any of the
fire company equipment.
This the commissioners
did, the
crowd quieted and soon
went home, but not
before giving a good indication
of what Norlina
tMnks of its fire company
and its firemen.
were read by
the town clerk from
three residents of
Norlina suffering from
large water bills due to
leaks in their water
pipes. None of them
asked for reduction in
the water charges, but
all sought adjustments
in their sewer bill on the
grounds that the water
never reached the
sewers. In each case the
commissioners agreed
to make some adjustment
in the sewer
charge.
R.B. Nelson, who for a
considerable time has
been working on Highway
92, appeared before
(Continued on page 4B)
trial Tuesday on PCBrelated
charges are
Benjamin Franklin
Chavis, a civil rights
activist charged with
impeding traffic with a
motor vehicle; and
Stephen Daniel Ciesielski,
charged with assault
on an officer.
The PCB cases are
only a few among the
dozens set for trial next
week, many of which
are concerned with
alleged violations of
motor vehicle law.
A murder trial in
which Joseph Smith is
the defendant is one of
28 scheduled to be
called on Monday. Another
murder charge
against Haywood Perry
is also expected to be
called on opening day.
Four defendants will
find themselves in court
for probation violations
and the forfeiture docket
contains the names
of 13 defendants.
A grand jury is
scheduled to hear
charges brought
against 15 persons,
including Sam Cheek
who is charged with
murder; and William
Bryan Slade who is
charged with manslaughter
in connection
with a fatal boat
accident which occurred
earlier this year on
Lake Gaston.
PARADE WINNERS — Taking prize money for
best floati entered In Warreatou's amnml Chrlstmaa
parade held 8aturday night under the spoaoorship
of the Warrea County Chuaher of Commerce
were two local dvfe daha and a Ore department
auxiliary. Pnrade Chairman Walter Gardaer, left,
haadi out checks Tuesday morning to (from left)
Oaths Are Taken
Power Transfer
Completed Here
Oath of office ceremonies
for Warren
County officials were
conducted at the Warren
County Court House
in Warrenton at 12:15
Monday afternoon in
what has been described
as the beginning of a
new day in Warren
County.
With a host of county
officials, families,
friends, television
cameramen and reporters
packed into the
courtroom, Mrs. Eva
Clayt Jii, the first black
women ever to serve as
chairman of the board
of county commissioners
in the long history of
Warren County was
given the oath of office
before Judge Robert
Hobgood of Louisburg,
after the certification of
her election by Mrs.
Janice Crump, chairman
of Warren County
Board of Elections.
After Board Chairman
Jack Harris had
called the commissioners
in session, he
recessed the meeting
until newly elected
officers could take the
oath of office before
Judge Hobgood. Prior
to this ceremony those
present recited the
Pledge of Allegiance to
the Flag, which was
followed by the invocation,
given by the Rev.
Luther Brown.
The swearing in ceremony
before Judge
Hobgood began with
Richard Hunter, Clerk
of Superior Court being
presented by Chairman
Jack Harris and certified
by Mrs. Crump,
who certified each
elected candidate before
he or she took the
oath of office.
Following Richard
Hunter in taking the
oath of office was Theo
Williams, who became
Warren County's first
black sheriff ever. After
he took the oath of office
his sheriff's badge was
pinned to his shirt by
retiring Sheriff Clarence
Davis.
The three newly elected
members of the
board of commissioners,
all black, taking the
oath of office were Mrs.
Eva Clayton, who later
was to be elected chairman,
George Shearin,
beginning his second
term, and Francis L.
Alston, Norlina barber,
beginning his first
term.
Members of the Soil
and Water Conservation
Committee, were
Nat B. White of Warrenton
and John K. Killian
of Ridgeway, both
white.
Members of the
Board of Education,
both black, were presented
by Mike Williams.
They were Henry
T. Pitchford, Jr., beginning
his second
term, and Yarborough
Williams, Jr., beginning
his first term.
After Yarborough
Williams, Jr., had been
sworn in, Judge Hobgood
expressed his
pleasure in being present
and his regret on
having to leave because
of a case in Raleigh.
Mrs. Clayton spoke
briefly on "Comments
of Appreciation," as
follows:
"Warren county citizens,
those who gave
their vote of confidence
by electing us to our
various positions, and
to you and to us, with
the grace of God we
pledge to act in a sense
of courage, in a sense of
integrity with a creative
leadership to work
for all citizens of
Warren County. This is
indeed an historical
occasion, an occasion
where a majority of the
citizens of Warren
County participated in
the election thereby
elected a local body of
government representative
of that majority.
That it is democracy at
its best. We applaud
that.
"However, we accept
the challenge that
blacks and whites together
can work to
provide leadership to
this county increasing a
climate where it is good
to do business, where it
is good to live, where we
may indeed provide
that this county may
well be the example for
the northeast.
"If democracy is to
work, however, it is not
dependent upon the
elected officials. The
citizens, each and
everyone of us as
citizens must be involved
in that process; must
work with us, must
share the ideals, must
criticize us, give their
time, their energy to
make this the kind of
county we would like to
have. If democracy is to
work, you and I both
will work together in
creating this destiny.
And, finally, Warren
County has had a lot of
abuse lately, but it is
indeed a good place to
live and you and I and
our neighbors can make
it even a safer place and
a better place in which
to live and to work.
Thank you."
Alvah Ward, director
of Industrial Development,
N. C. Department
of Commerce, followed
Mrs. Clayton. "Job
opportunities and indus
New Dispatch System
Said Help To Firemen
Citizens of Warren
County, and other residents
served by Warren
fire departments, are
being urged to familiarize
themselves with information
needed in the
event of fire once a new
system of reporting
fires is put into opera
tion here early next
year.
Jeff King, secretary
of the Warren County
Fire Association, said
yesterday that the county's
fire department
members are seeking to
make potential fire
victims better able to
direct fire trucks to
their proper destinations.
A central dispatch
radio system, expected
to be completed in
February, will enable
each individual fire
department in the county
to cut down on the
response time Deeded to
reach a Ore, King said.
Area residents are
asked to begin now
learning the name and
number of their particular
fire district, learning
familiar landmarks
in their neighborhood
and memorizing the
number of the road on
which they live.
"This new system
will enable the fire
to better
you, to cut down
trial recruitment can
not survive without the
total commitment of
local interests," he
said. "The state on
suggestion can carry
your banner and assist
you but without the total
commitment of over 240
industrial commissions
and organizations dedicated
to the expansion
of present industry or
the attraction of new
industry simply nothing
happens. And so it
starts with you.
"I think sometimes
we forget how a new
industry would view us
as a county or as a
region, and as a native
of northeastern North
Carolina I can testify to
you that many times
northeastern North
Carolina does not have
the image for industrial
recruitment. Some of
this is probably because
we have not done as
well as we should have
and should try harder.
Regardless of the issues
involved, to an industry
involved controversy is
the last thing it wants.
The best interest of an
area can be served
when there is total
cooperation, a total
commitment from the
local community, a coordination
of effort of
state government and
industry as a whole.
"I would like to set
forth this day as a new
beginning. It is a new
beginning for Warren
County. It is certainly a
new beginning as a
totally new attitude
toward industrial development
is concerned
and I would like to bring
to you a commitment on
the part of the Industrial
Development
which I head to do
everything we can do to
attract the HnHq of
industry to this county
that we can possibly
attract with your help
and with this sort of
cooperation we feel that
we can move industry
into the county and into
eastern North Carolina
We have a reasonably
good track record in
other parts of the state.
"I am familiar with
the county. We have
had some disappointments
together. We
have had industry that
have looked. We have
had industry that has
bought land and we
have had industry that
has put the projects on
bold. I know the
advantages of the county,
the new water, the
new sewer, land and
people are its principle
assets. I realize the
story that can be made
about the Interstate
highway, the proximity
for the kind of support
service that industry
peeds. What we need is
a renewed enon togcuv
er to pledge ourselves to
• new cammUiueut in
tUs area, and they will